


Betrayal

by caradoxing (saunteredvaguelydownward)



Series: Dala Brosca [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: i apologize for my inability to title, more dumb 2 am drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 20:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5063419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saunteredvaguelydownward/pseuds/caradoxing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dala deals with Leske's betrayal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Betrayal

There is nothing left. Nothing but anger and blood.

Dala is not sure how long she stands there, looking down at him. She is only faintly aware of the voices behind her, but she only snaps back to reality when she feels a hand rested gently on her shoulder. She rips away from it with force. She feels more empty than ever, but there is even less room for tenderness in her now.

She catches a glimpse of Leliana’s face, full of pity and a hint of hurt. For a second, Dala feels five again, looking to her sister for some semblance of comfort. A pang of guilt aches deep in her chest but she pushes it away.

“We’re leaving,” she says, pulling her dagger from Lekse’s chest. Part of her never wants to touch it again for it having touched him, but he has taken enough from her. She refuses to let him take anything more.

She is halfway across the room before she hears footsteps follow.

-

She wishes there were nothing now. She calls for her anger would come hollow her out once more but it doesn’t answer.

Something else does though.

Something older and more familiar and more overwhelming. It feels cold and hard and relentless like camping out on the stone with nothing in between. They had done that so many times that camping with her friends later, with all the grass and tents, felt like a luxury.

It hadn’t mattered so much then. Leske had kept her mind from it, but for the occasional complaining, reminded her that doing this was keeping Rica somewhere much less uncomfortable. Reminded her there was still a sliver of hope to escape the hell they’d been born into.

She had, in the end, escaped. It didn’t feel much like an improvement most days.

On the way back, Zevran had been the first to say something. He had tried to make a joke, something to lighten the mood, and she was sure any other time she would have appreciated it.

Dala had said nothing, only later offering a simple “we’ll camp here for the night” before setting up her tent and retreating to it.

She had only come out when she had gotten bored of staring at the canvas above her, long after she had begun hearing the sound of faint snoring emerge from the darkness.

The fire had gone out, only small hints of red gave the idea that it had been used recently.

Dala nearly jumps when an accented voice comes from behind her. “You weren’t wrong, you know.“

She feels a harsh, bitter laugh erupt from her chest. “Well it does a damn good job at feeling like it.”

Leliana only sighs, before lowering herself to sit on the ground next to her. “You were protecting yourself. It’s… not your fault he betrayed you.”

She catches that fleeting look on Leliana’s face again and suddenly everything clicks into place.

“You too, huh?”

Leliana pauses and for a second Dala is sure she crossed some sort of line.

“I loved her.”

“Yeah, I loved that bastard too.” The words come out of her mouth before she even realizes it. He had been her best friend, her only friend. She was sure Dust Town was the kind of place where you’d call anyone affectionate, but despite herself she had still cared about him, still trusted him.

“I guess we were both wrong.”

Looking over at Leliana, she wonders how it doesn’t plague her, how she can still seem so bright and loving even so.

Maybe, she supposes, there is something left. Maybe there has to be.


End file.
